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November 29, 2012 Never give a box full of dog — that's our advice. Well, that and a few more things that aren't consistent with how they give gifts on TV.

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November 29, 2012 In 1951, Leslie Caron arrived in California a malnourished and anemic ballerina. After spending the war in occupied Paris, Tinseltown was a revelation, and she soon took it by storm, appearing with the likes of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in more than 40 films.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

November 28, 2012 French actress Marion Cotillard won the 2008 Academy Award for best actress for her role in La Vie en Rose. NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Cotillard about her new film, Rust and Bone, in which she plays an amputee.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

November 28, 2012 It's time for the press screenings of Les Miserables. They're embargoed after they happen, but we can share what we won't be doing.

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November 28, 2012 You might envision Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy as cute and cuddly. But they're tough characters united to fight the boogeyman in Rise of the Guardians. NPR's Michel Martin talks with director Peter Ramsey about the movie — and becoming the first African-American director of a big-budget CG-animation film.

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On Tell Me MorePlaylist

November 28, 2012 Think outside the bag of white flour that's ubiquitous in the kitchen this time of year. These delights are naturally flour-free yet still utterly delicious.

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November 27, 2012 In fiction, Paula McLain explores Hemingway's first marriage, while Anita Desai re-examines modern India. In nonfiction, Joseph Epstein defends gossip, Rosamond Bernier remembers midcentury Paris, and Stuart Isacoff lauds the piano.

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November 27, 2012 Priska Neely peeks inside the fully stocked minibar of Denzel Washington's Flight to find out how all those brand-name bottles get on screen — and what happens when nobody gets permission.

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November 27, 2012 In his new book, journalist Gregory Johnsen charts the rise of Yemen as a haven for al-Qaida and explores the recent history of radical Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. The death of Osama bin Laden, he says, had more of an effect on the U.S. psyche than it did on people in Yemen.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

November 27, 2012 On Morning Edition, Neda Ulaby looks at television's most powerful comedy hitmaker.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

November 27, 2012 The only thing that these books have in common is that NPR's go-to librarian likes them a lot. Nancy Pearl's self-described "higgledy-piggledy" list includes a book of cartoons, a Civil War history, a coming-of-age story, a spy novel and more.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

November 26, 2012 Jon Meacham's Thomas Jefferson paints a rich portrait of the third president. It debuts at No. 1.

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November 26, 2012 Independent bookstores have weathered competition from big chains, Amazon and now e-books. But NPR's Lynn Neary reports that this year's holiday shopping season looks like an improvement on past years, as booksellers offer quality hardcovers and their own take on e-readers.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

November 26, 2012 For this week's Sandwich Monday, we make our own version of a special from Asia's Freshness Burger chain: The Butter And Sugar Burger. Spoiler alert: It has two ingredients, and they are butter and sugar. And it's on a bun.

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